Funny You're the Broken One, But I'm the Only One Who Needed Saving
by Dare to be Something More
Summary: Enzo helps Caroline have her one year without emotion. DISCLAIMER: I do not have any rights to The Vampire Diaries (L.J. Smith and The CW)
1. Chapter 1

He seemed to be the only one who wasn't surprised by her decision to turn it off. To be honest, he's quite surprised that she hasn't snapped before this. For months now she has been supporting her best friend through her grief, and trying to help her get over her drug abuse. Not to mention she's been trying to bring her other best friend back, and along with her, Damon Salvatore. All the while her best friend/crush is avoiding her like the plague, because he's too busy trying to move on than help her bring her friend and his brother back. To top it all off, she can't find comfort in her home town, since stepping foot over the boarder will kill her. She can't even follow her dreams, and graduate college to pursue a career. Then out of no where, just when things were beginning to get better, her mother is diagnosed with cancer. She spends every waking hour with her mother, trying to find a cure, trying to find more time, but it's all in vain.

She turns it off, and he doesn't blame her. All she asks for is a year, but nobody seems to want to give that to her. So when he figures out her supposed friends are trying to shorten her one request, he takes matters into his own hands.

He stops her before she heads into the rave that her friends are currently in, ready to undermine her one wish.

"Good evening gorgeous." He greets, and easy smirk on his face.

Her apathetic blue eyes lock with his, "Enzo." Her tone is flat, and it makes him hate the world for twisting her into this hollow creature before him.

"Do you want to go to Miami?" He casually asks.

She looks at him as if he is crazy, which he probably is. "Why do you want to go?" she asks.

"I've never been." His answer is simple, but honest.

She still seems to need some convincing. He doesn't know why, all she has here is grief and meddlesome friends.

"Trust me, I know the need to escape pain." He's more sincere than he intended to be.

He listens to the loud music in the background while she ponders his question. Her blue eyes search his, and she must find something she trusts, because she says, "Okay."

He holds his hand out, "Phone."

She quirks an eyebrow, "Why?"

"You need to escape, and you can't do that with everyone here pestering you." Enzo explains, listening for the Mystic Falls gang.

"What about your phone?" She asks.

He chuckles, "You and Damon have my phone number, and I don't think Damon will be to concerned about my whereabouts, he's too busy trying to figure out how to get Gilbert's memories back."

She nods, realizing he's right. "Fine, but don't break it."

Enzo takes the offered phone and slides it into his jacket pocket, "Don't worry." He then opens the passenger door of his car, gesturing for her to get in. She rolls her eyes at his antics before sliding into the seat.

He pulls over at the post office, and she gives him a curious look, "I'm just mailing something."

She watches as he puts her phone in a box, writes an address on it, and drop it in the outgoing mailbox, before heading back to the car.

"So you had this planned the whole time?" she refers to the way the envelope was ready to be mailed.

Enzo smirks as he pulls onto the road, "I knew you would come."

She pushes her eyebrows together in confusion, "How?"

Enzo spares her a glance, "I know you," before looking back at the empty road.

She squirms, a little unhinged with his answer, so she changes the subject. "Where's it going?" She asks, eyes focused on the horizon.

They pass the 'Thank You for Visiting Mystic Falls, we hope to see you back soon!' sign before he answers, "The Salvatore Boarding House, with the return postage to your house."

She smiles, "You know Bonnie can just do a locator spell to find me if they are that concerned."

"I've already thought of that, we just have one stop to make." He says, a smirk in his voice as they speed through the night.

 **A/N Until next time!**  
 **  
**


	2. Chapter 2

She's asleep before they leave Virginia, he smiles at the sight. Her sky eyes are closed to the world, her wavy blonde locks cover half of her face, she looks peaceful, like she did a week ago. Enzo shakes his head, he's not here to let his not so complicated emotions get in the way of helping his emotionless friend.

Seven hours later they arrive in the outskirts of Atlanta, Gerogia, the sun is just starting it's leisurely pace up to the center of the sky. Enzo pulls his 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS in front of an old gas station, leaving her none the wiser. Enzo leaves Billie Holiday playing softly on the radio.

The man behind the desk nods at Enzo, he returns it with a polite smile. He grabs some skittles off of the shelf, knowing a certain blonde vampire likes them, and places them on the counter. As the man rings up his order Enzo says, "I'm looking for Ruth Ross."

The man looks up, "She's long gone son." Enzo can see the grief behind the mans eyes, and he is once again struck with how much time has passed while he was in Augustine. Luckily the man doesn't seem to question Enzo's age.

"What about Ella? Her daughter." Enzo asks.

The man sighs, "She still lives in Brookhaven, the same house she grew up in."

Enzo smirks, placing a twenty down, "Keep the change." He promptly picks up the skittles and makes his way back to the car, where she is still blissfully asleep. Foo Fighters has replaced Billie Holiday, and Enzo begins to hum along to _Best of You_.

She wakes as he shifts the car into first, "Where are we?" Her voice is thick with sleep.

"Atlanta." Enzo answers as he pulls out of the gas station.

She yawns before stretching, "Why are we here?"

Enzo glances at her, and chuckles lightly at her bed head, "We need to pass through Georgia to get to Florida, darling."

She blushes, but doesn't comment, she just picks up the bag of skittles and begins to eat them as she watches the world go by.

When Enzo pulls up in front of a house, she gives him a puzzled look, he just shrugs, "I told you, we have one stop to make."

She looks in the mirror and makes a sound, Enzo looks at her, "You don't have a hair brush, do you?" She asks, as she tries to comb her hair with her finger.

Enzo just shakes his head, she looks at him and frowns, "I forgot, you just run a hand through your hair and look hot." She says it casually as she touches up her makeup.

Enzo's head snaps toward her, this emotionless shell of a girl is a lot more bold than he's used to. "You're going to be the death of me gorgeous." Enzo mumbles under his breath as he gets out of the car.

She pops a mint in her mouth before following him. Enzo knocks lightly on the door, not wanting to startle Ella. A woman with grey hair, and deep laugh lines opens the door, and Enzo smiles at her.

"Enzo?" She asks, seemingly confused.

"Hello Ella, you haven't changed a bit." His tone is light, but he means it, she is still as beautiful as she was, with intelligence shinning through her hazel eyes.

Ella brushes his compliment off with a wave of her hand, "Flattery won't get you anywhere."

Enzo smiles, "I know."

Ella looks over his shoulder at the girl behind him, "How can I help you?" She asks, knowing this isn't a visit from an old family friend.

Enzo never breaks eye contact, knowing the magnitude of what he's about ask, "Your mother protected me, I was wondering if you could do the same?"

Ella looks to his companion, "Who is this?"

"A friend." Enzo simply says.

"Caroline." She offers. Enzo looks over and wonders if Ella can see how hollow Caroline is.

Ella looks around before inviting them in, "What is it exactly that you need?"

Enzo helps Ella sit down before taking a seat himself, he ignores the way a set of emotionless blue eyes follow him. Enzo leans his elbows on his knees, "We need protection from locator spells, do you think you can help us out?"

Ella mulls it over in her mind before saying, "I can make a charm that will hide you, but I'm going to need a few things first."

Enzo helps Ella gather her herbs from her garden, while Caroline fetches a bowl and knife from the kitchen.

"I'm going to need your daylight rings and blood." Ella says, holding out the bowl with smashed herbs in it, Enzo doesn't hesitate to drop his ring in the bowl and then slice his wrist open with the knife. Caroline waits until he's done, trusting him, not Ella, as she drops her daylight ring and cuts her wrist open.

Ella chants for a few minutes before wiping the rings off and handing them to the vampires, "The spell will draw magic from your ring and blood, so long as you wear it it will work."

Ella sees the speculation in Caroline's eyes, so she motions for Enzo's wrist. She drops some of his blood on a map, and chants until blood leaks out of her nose, "Ella." Enzo warns with a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of the spell.

Ella wipes it away before looking down, the blood disappeared from the map. "It's like we vanished." Caroline whispers.

"Now don't let it touch vervain, that will nullify the power your blood gives it and reverse the spell." Ella warns.

Enzo gives Ella a parting hug before they go, "Thank you."

Squeezing him in return, she smiles up, "Don't be a stranger."

Her words make him nod before pulling away. Once Ella is out of sight Caroline asks, "Why do you trust her?"

Enzo's eyes don't leave the road as he answers, "I saved her life when she was 6. Her mother gave me a daylight ring as a thank you, and from there on out we helped each other. Ruth would use me for spells when she didn't want to wait for a full moon, and she would help hide from hunters or give me a spell."

Caroline's eyes drift down the ring on Enzo's right hand, "Not this one gorgeous, Augustine took it from me." Enzo can't hide the bitterness in his voice.

Caroline looks down at her own ring, "Do you think they will find us?"

"No. They'll try, but when have they ever been successful at anything?" Enzo looks at her out of the corner of his eye and finds her smiling. He frowns, her smile is missing her light.

 **A/N Until Next Time!**

 **à la prochaine!**


	3. Chapter 3

Enzo drops Caroline off at the Four Season's Resort in Miami. Caroline gives him a curious look when he doesn't get out of his car, "I have something to take care of." Enzo says as he hands over his credit card. Caroline hesitantly takes it, "Can't we just compel them?"

Enzo shrugs, "If you want, but I'm not exactly worried about money." Apparently why he was locked up his saving's accounts kept collecting interest, and some of his investments increased exponentially. Enzo sees the apprehension on her face, "Do what you want."

Caroline nods before walking off, Enzo watches her until she's in the hotel. He then looks at the valet and shakes his head. The valet looks slightly disappointed, which makes Enzo smirk as he drives off.

After a forty minute drive Enzo pulls up to a beautiful beach cottage, that sits on half an acre of beach front property. Enzo would have preferred something more private, but he figures he can do a year before turning this into a rental property. The sun is starting it's decent back to the other side of the Earth as Enzo shifts his car into park.

Enzo finds the realtor sitting on the back porch with a coattail. She's wearing a light pink blouse, with a white pencil skirt, and her heels are white and incredibility tall for someone who walks a lot. The realtor's light brown eyes land on him, and a fake grin spreads across her face. She stands up, and walks over to him, which is quite a feat since most of the ground is sand. "Mr. St John!"

Enzo offers her an easy simile, "I'm sorry, but I didn't realize how bad traffic would be."

She looks down at her watch, 6 pm, "Rush hour," she pauses taking him in, "But you're not from around here. I should have warned you."

Enzo raises an eyebrow, thinking the accent over the phone would be the most obvious thing, but he doesn't make a comment.

"Let's take a tour." She says enthusiastically.

"Actually, I've seen enough. I'm ready to buy it." Enzo smirks.

She looks shocked, but quickly recovers, "Mr. St John, I know the view is to die for, and the location is pretty out of the way just like you asked, but when you contacted me-"

Enzo cuts her off, "Kelly, I appreciate the concern, but I would like to buy this."

Kelly nods, "Well then, would you like to counter?"

"No, I'll pay the full asking price. I would like to close as soon as possible though." Enzo says, watching the sun as Kelly fumbles in her bag.

Kelly looks up, taking in his profile, "Well Mr. St John it could take 30 days to close, and that's if they accept your offer."

Enzo looks at her, "You have a week."

Kelly's mouth hangs open as he walks away, knowing she will get it done; it's not like she has a choice in the matter. Once he's in his car he checks his phone, finding 3 missed calls from Damon and about a dozen texts. Enzo doesn't bother listening to the voicemails nor reading the messages, he just calls him back.

" _Enzo!_ " Damon sounds livid.

"Hello." Enzo quips as he pulls away from the house.

He hears Damon sigh, he can tell he's drinking as he stands by the Salvatore's massive fireplace. " _I've been trying to get a hold of you for days, where are you?"_

Enzo did not expect Damon to notice his absence, something must be going on, "Is everything okay?" Enzo drops his sarcasm, worried for his old friend.

Damon sighs again, " _No, well the world's not ending. It's Elena_."

Enzo rolls his eyes at Damon's dramatics, "Does she still not love you." Enzo guesses.

" _She won't even think about us with Blondie missing, which brings me to my original point, do you know where she is_?" Damon sounds desperate.

Enzo chuckles, which further irritates Damon, "At this exact moment, no." It's not technically lying, Enzo doesn't know if she's at the hotel or wondering the city. He hears something shatter on the other end and says, "Maybe this is a good thing."

" _Blondie missing?_ " Damon asks like Enzo's missing the big picture.

"No, that Elena no longer loves you. Now you have time for the witch." Enzo doesn't know when he became matchmaker; he blames Caroline's influence.

Damon takes a moment to answer, "Just let me know if you hear anything from Blondie." The line goes dead.

Enzo places his phone in the cup holder and shakes his head, glad to be free of Mystic Falls' drama for a while. After fighting traffic on the freeway he finally pulls up to the hotel, handing the valet his keys. "Don't break it." Enzo says, showing too much teeth. The valet gulps but takes his keys anyway. Enzo walks to the front desk and shows the receptionist a picture of Caroline, and with a dose of compulsion he finds her room.

Enzo knocks on the door, wondering why she picked the top floor. Caroline opens the door with a smile on her face, which drops when she sees Enzo. "Sorry to disappoint." Enzo teases as he takes in the small, fluffy, white bathrobe she's wearing and her messy bun.

Caroline rolls her sky eyes at him, but she moves to the side so he can walk in, "I was expecting room service."

Enzo doesn't reply as he takes in the bags that cover her bed, the floor, and the other bed, which he presumes is his. "Did you buy everything?" He asks.

"We didn't bring anything with us, not even a toothbrush! So I thought I would do some shopping while you were doing whatever it was you were doing." Caroline waves him off.

Enzo picks up a short sleeve button up with palm trees on this before looking at her, "I'm not wearing this."

Caroline rips it from him, "Well you can't wear that, it's like a million degrees out." She gestures to his leather jacket, dark wash jeans, and boots.

"It's 86 out right now." Enzo comments.

She ignores the comment, "We're going out tonight, so freshen up."

Enzo would argue, he doesn't like going to clubs, but he knows she's currently on a warpath. "Yes gorgeous." He mock salutes.

She spins around suddenly, a light bulb just went off behind her eyes. Some of her golden locks fall out of her bun, and for a moment he's stuck with her beauty, but then snaps out of it; the girl in front of him is not Caroline Forbes. "I got a new phone." she says as she texts something.

A moment later his phone dings, he pulls it out of his pocket and reads the message _Hurry up!_ he smirks as he puts 'Gorgeous' in his phone, leaving her old number as 'Perky Blonde Angel of Death'. Enzo smiles, noting that she remembers his phone number. He plops down on the bed closer to the balcony after he moves all the bags to the floor.

Caroline stands at the end of the bed with her arms crossed and hip out; she is displeased. When Enzo doesn't acknowledge her she moves out of his line of sight, and soon something lands on his chest. He sits up and finds a navy blue short sleeved button up and white shorts. "Shouldn't we wash these?" Enzo calls out while Caroline walks to the door.

"Don't be such an old man." She calls over her shoulder as she opens the door. The girl on the other side gasps in surprise, her hand raised to knock.

Enzo pulls his credit card out of Caroline's hand, and slides it back into his wallet before she can even argue. He hands the stunned person a 100, winks and says, "Keep the change." before shutting the door, blocking the blushing girl's view.

He sees the look on Caroline's face and sighs, "Yes I do have an exuberant amount of money, that would probably even take _you_ years to blow through, but we're not going to test that theory."

Caroline doesn't bother arguing, she knows he's frugal. She doesn't know it's because he spent most of his existence without anything.

A few hours later, when Caroline deems him ready, they're off. Enzo admires her short dress and long legs as she drags him out of the hotel and down the street, excited to explore the nightlife. They only end up going to two different clubs, and Enzo does the exact same thing in each. He orders a beer, watches Caroline 'dance' with other men, and casually flirts with the few women who come up to him.

She dances with multiple different men, and even takes a bite, but she stays true to her promise and doesn't kill anyone; not that he was worried. She compels the men, pops their collars, and leaves them none the wiser.

Once she's ready to go, at 3 am in the morning, Enzo happily obliges. He all but carriers her back to the hotel. She's out like a light the moment her head hits the pillow.

Enzo spends his night doing laundry and folding clothes, thankful that Caroline bought them suitcases.

 **A/N This is slightly boring, but I'm having a hard time writing Caroline without emotions, if you have any suggestions please let me know.**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

It took the contractors nine week to complete the house to his liking and one day for Caroline to say it's too dark to be a beach house. Enzo is silent as she takes a tour of the house for the first time; he waited until it was finished to tell her about it, otherwise he would have gave into her every wish.

The house is a two story, with two beds and full baths on the second floor and the living space on the first. The first floor has dark hardwoods, white walls, and leather furniture to separate the living space from the kitchen. There's a custom stone fireplace, not as big as the Salavtores but bigger than any home in Florida could use, that is the center of the living room. There is no TV, which Caroline pouts at, but a smile adorns her face when she sees the backyard. They are steps away from their own private beach, with flawless sand and a large lanai.

Caroline's excitement carries when she drags Enzo upstairs. The stairway separates the two bedrooms, with a small seating in between that looks out to the ocean. Enzo open's Caroline's door, and the first thing she sees is the TV.

"I didn't want to have to watch your trashy shows." Enzo comments as she flops on the bed.

She glares at him, "They aren't trashy."

Enzo rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment.

She suddenly sits up, "We should have a party!"

"And who would we invite?" Enzo asks, a smirk adorning his face as she pauses to think.

"Your neighbors!" She says, victory in her voice.

Enzo pretends to mull this over before putting a stop to the planning that he can see going through her eyes, "The majority of my neighbors are older than the Salvatores."

Before she can say anything else he says, "Let's just settle in for now. I think I've had Disney for my lifetime."

Caroline rolls her eyes, "You loved Disney."

Enzo affectionately shakes his head while saying, "Why don't you focus on unpacking. I'm pretty sure you bought half of the souvenirs from Disney."

 **A/N Until next time!**

 **For the record they spent the last month living at the different Disney resorts and campsite while exploring.**


	5. Chapter 5

Enzo is drinking rum while Caroline drinks something mixed with vodka as they watch the sunset from the back porch.

Caroline looks over at Enzo, he's wearing a cotton white shirt with the top button undone, and navy blue board shorts, he's a picture of ease. His shirt takes on the dark purples, fuzzy oranges, and pale pinks of dusk; making his naturally tan skin glow. The last rays of the sun hit his eyes, making the irises appearing lighter than their usual endless deep brown.

Enzo exhales, he can feel Caroline's gaze on him, she likes to make his life difficult. Enzo rolls his head to face her, casting longs shadows on his right side, sharpening his jaw. "What's going on in that gorgeous head of yours?" Enzo quips, wanting her to stop looking at him like he holds her salvation.

Caroline twirls her straw before answering, "Have you ever turned it off?"

Enzo almost smiles, it's only been two and a half months, and she already has qualms about turning it off. "No." His answer is simple, but he knows it will create a very complex dynamic between them.

"Why?" She asks, if he didn't know better he would say her voice held an edge of fear.

Enzo doesn't want to offend her, but he's never been able to give her anything but the truth, "To me it would be like giving up."

Caroline's blue eyes, usually the window to her soul, have been closed off, preventing him from knowing what she feels. Enzo goes in blind here, "My life has always been difficult, but it made it worth living."

"Hmm?" Caroline asks, her features bathed in confusion as the last of the sun slips beyond the horizon.

He smiles with a heaviness that only a lifetime of pain can bring, "The pain, the heartache, it make's all the good that much sweeter. Maybe it's sadistic, but I relish in the pain, it reminds me that I'm alive." Enzo explains.

His brown eyes bore into her hollow blue ones, and he wishes she was there with him.

She raises a perfect eyebrow, narrowing her sky eyes, "You lived with endless torture for decades, why not give yourself a break?"

"Then I would have nothing to live for." Enzo easily says.

"But after saying thank you to Maggie, what else did you have to live for?" Caroline asks. She's more bold with less tact now she's emotionless. He wonders what will happen when she turns it back on and remembers moments like these.

Enzo takes a sip and turns back to the sunset, letting the beginnings of a cool night wash over him, "To cause pain and feel pain. To love and lose. To find connections that last, and ones that don't." He looks at her, hoping part of this reaches her, "To experience the life that was taken from me."

Then he smiles as he turns back to the sunset, "To not feel the boredom of never feeling anything." He glances at her, "Are you bored?"

Caroline scrunches her nose, "A little."

Enzo looks at her, watching the reflection of the ocean in her flat pupils. He feels this burning rage that demands to be heard, wanting her to feel again. But he promised her a year, and he fully intends to give her one.

Caroline notices his gaze and turns to say something, but Enzo stops her, "I'm going for a swim." Enzo sets his glass down before unbuttoning his shirt and leaving it on the chair. He leaves Caroline to her thoughts as the Atlantic ocean surrounds him.

Enzo submerges his head, and lets the peace and quite take over his senses. For a brief moment he is taken back to his childhood in England, when the ocean could take away his pain. The ocean in Florida is much different, it taste's different, feels different, but he still feels connected to another time. He doesn't know how long he's under the water, but when he emerges the sun has long set and the moon has taken over; turning the ocean into a dark blue with silver moving with the current. Enzo walks out, finding embers in the small fire pit and Caroline asleep on her lounge chair with a magazine next to her. Enzo chuckles at the sight before grabbing their empty glasses, his forgotten shirt, and her magazine. Enzo showers quickly and drys off before coming back to the porch in nothing but boxer shorts. Caroline is still asleep, with a little bit of drool on her chin, he smiles as he picks her up effortlessly and carries her to her room where he already pushed the blankets and sheets back. He places all the covers on her, knowing she will sleep under a pile of blankets regardless of the temperature. He silently leaves her room and locks the doors; habits are hard to break despite his supernatural status.

Enzo lays down on his bed, reading _1984_ by George Orwell. He soon falls asleep to the salty breeze that makes it's way through his window.

 **A la prochaine!**


	6. Chapter 6

Enzo wakes up, he's a picture of ease to the outside but a raging fire burns within. It takes him a moment to truly relax after realizing he isn't back at Augustine under the knife. Enzo sits up and sighs, looking out the window. The moon is gone and not a star to be seen, there's only clouds. The ocean is eerily black with lazy waves reaching for the shore. He runs a hand through his bed head and down his face, knowing sleep is futile with his ghosts ready to pounce when he's week.

Enzo neatly makes his bed before shutting the door. He quietly makes his way to the kitchen to pour a glass of whiskey. He settles down in front of a new fire and watches the flames dance as they cast shadows across the bottom floor.

He quickly drowns the glass before grabbing his book from the previous night and pouring himself another drink.

The empty glass sits on the coffee table as he reads _1984_ by George Orwell. Enzo finishes the book as the sun brings light to castaway the darkness.

Enzo sets the book down as he sits up, looking out the back window. The water seems to slowly wake up as it lightly strikes the shore, with the sun breathing color to the previously dark ocean. Enzo sighs as he stands, internally berating himself for his mind going back to his time at Augustine. He shakes his head and sets on the task of making coffee. Enzo is careful to not wake Caroline as he lightly walks to the front door, he's not yet ready to pretend he's okay with her running from her emotions. He grabs the newspaper, casually waving to the woman who lives across the street before retreating back to his kitchen island.

As he scans the paper his phone buzzes in his pocket, he pulls it out to see Damon's name lighting up the screen. Enzo slides his thumb across the screen, still in awe of advances in technology from when he was locked up to now. He speeds to his back lanai so Caroline doesn't wake.

"Hello." Enzo greets.

" _Where the hell are you?_ " Damon demands.

Enzo stares at the sea, wondering why Damon cares all of the sudden. "How's Elena?" Enzo casually asks, assuming this is about the brunette, since it always is.

Damon lets out a breath, " _Just peachy._ " He bites out. Damon collects himself, " _Avoiding the question?_ "

Enzo hums, "I'm exploring the life I never got."

Damon's initial silence is the closest thing to an apology Enzo will ever get. " _Kai- you know the siphon- is trying to make amends or something. Now Bonnie wants to find a way to get rid of him without condemning his whole coven._ "

Enzo smirks, "Sounds like fun."

He can practically see Damon's eye roll. " _Yeah. I just need to get drunk. Interested?"_

Enzo shakes his head, "I'm a little busy. Why don't you ask the professor?" Enzo can't keep the bite out of his tone, he has never liked anyone associated with Augustine. He logically knows that Alaric wasn't working with Maxfield, but his nightmare still lingers.

 _"Nah he can't. Now that his girlfriend- fiancée, their engaged- is pregnant, he has become a family man._ " Damon complains.

"Let me guess Stefan is his usual dull self," Damon chuckles at that, "And Elena still doesn't love you." Enzo quips.

Damon goes from amused to irritated, " _Blondie's still missing, and apparently that takes priority over coming to terms with the fact that she had to have her memories erased to deal with her destructive guilt."_

Enzo turns when he hears Caroline yawn. He looks through the back window to find her pouring herself a cup of coffee, "She probably left that town. You should too, if you want to avoid becoming empty." _just like her_ Enzo thinks as he watches the vampire before him.

Damon lets out a hollow laugh, " _I think it's too late."_

Enzo smiles slightly, "Not yet." Enzo says before hanging up on Damon and sliding his phone into his back pocket. **  
**

He opens the back door, and is greeted by an emotionless smile, "I think I know what will cure me of my boredom!" She gestures for him to guess.

"Reality TV?" Enzo says as he tops off his mug before sitting next to her on the couch.

She rolls her hollow eyes, "College!" Her usually chipper tone lacks the brightness that always brings a smile to his face.

Enzo gives her a fake one, wishing she'd notice, but she doesn't; nothing seems to crack her shell. "Congratulations!" He knows he should be more supportive, but he just doesn't care to. Neither does she as she rattles off on how she's going to accomplish it.

He divides his attention between listening to her and stopping himself from shaking her until she feels again, until she cares again.

 **A/N Caroline isn't in Mystic Falls, meaning Stefan has his emotions, so the heretics are still in the prison world. Kai never gets locked in the prison world, so he doesn't become a vampire and ruin Alaric and Jo's wedding. Just wanted to have Damon call so we could check into the happenings of Mystic Falls.  
**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
**

 **I'm toying with the idea of introducing a magical element (probably werewolves) to have some outside drama. But I don't want it to take away from Caroline's journey through the eyes of Enzo (a man who fights no matter what).**

 **Please let me know what will most interest you guys!**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Enzo is sitting on a smooth wooden board, with his feet dangling in the water and his head upturned to the new moon. His eyes are shut as he breaths the salty air, relishing in the peace the ocean brings.

His body goes rigid as he hears his phone ring from the house. Enzo makes it to his house in less than a heartbeat, thankful for the safety of darkness. He grabs his towel as he heads in, finding sun-kissed hair and apathetic sky-blue eyes frozen on his phone as his ringer screams through the night.

"Hello gorgeous." Enzo answers, slightly worried that she's calling.

" _Is this Caroline's roommate?"_ A deep even voice on the other line asks

"Yes." Enzo quips, amused at the title Caroline gave him.

" _Can you please come pick up Caroline, she's in no condition to be driving."_ The man says.

Enzo sighs, assuming Caroline drank too much and some good Samaritan is looking out for her well being, unaware that a vampires tolerance for alcohol is pretty high.

"I'll be there soon." Enzo answers.

He gets dressed with the help of vampire speed and is soon out the door, his night completely forgotten.

Enzo parks away from the party, wary of drunk students near his car, and makes his way over the hill to the loud music and smell of cheap beer. He finds a talkative Caroline and a man standing a little ways from the party, he can tell the man is keeping Caroline away from the party by letting her talk.

The wind shifts, and Enzo perks up; the smell of werewolf rolling off the man.

The man notices Enzo a moment later, and gently redirects Caroline's attention. She practically throws herself into Enzo's arms and chatters about her night. He can smell alcohol and something else on her breath.

The man clears his throat, "When she started talking about witches, werewolves and vampires, I thought it was time for her to leave before she drew the wrong kind of attention. Luckily everyone was too drunk to notice."

Enzo eyes the man, looking for any sign of danger, when he sees none he nods and says, "Thank you."

The man nods back before wandering back to the party. Enzo looks down at Caroline who is extracting herself to go do something else. He gently grabs her wrist and pulls her to him, she stumbles and falls right into him. He holds her squirming face in between his hands and looks into her blue eyes. They are hazy with more than just alcohol.

"Gorgeous, what did you do?" He softly asks.

Caroline's answer, "I need something to drink."

Enzo hums, "I'll get you something when we get back."

"I don't want to go." She whines and pouts.

He finds it remarkable that she can still pull this off when she is internally numb to everything. Enzo guides her to his car while asking her questions to distract her.

She falls asleep halfway into their drive, and is jostled awake when he puts the car in park. Caroline stumbles out of the car, and Enzo chuckles softly before he scoops her up. She lets out a squeak and wraps her arms around his neck. "You smell like beach." She slurs.

Enzo nods as he walks up the stairs. She leans her head on his shoulder and mumbles, "Where's my drink?"

Enzo cracks a smile, "Just a moment."

He sets her down on the edge of her tub and helps her take her shoes off. He unzips the top of her dress before leaving. Enzo grabs her a water bottle from the fridge and cracks it on his way up when he hears her throwing up in the toilet. He rushes up, worried; vampires don't get sick.

Enzo holds her hair and rubs her back; the selfish part of him thankful that this didn't happen in his car.

Once the contents are flushed and Caroline is sitting with her hands cradling her head does Enzo speak. "What happened?" He asks as water rushes from the faucet of the bath.

Caroline rubs her temples with her long fingers, "I drank _a lot_."

Enzo presses his eyes together, knowing that alcohol wouldn't do this. He sets a hand on her bare knee, "Gorgeous, can you remember ingesting anything else?"

She sighs, "Some people were smoking stuff, I thought it'd be fun." She says with a shrug.

Enzo nods before leaving, knowing that's the best he will get out of her.

Enzo spent the rest of the night on the couch with a dwindling bottle of whiskey.

The bottle is long dry by the time the sun begins to breath light into the darkness. Enzo gets up to make coffee, knowing Caroline will need it. As the smell of coffee fills the air, Enzo hears an unfamiliar gait walk up the steps toward his door. He waits for the inevitable knock, and then opens the door, finding the man that helped Caroline.

"I'm Atticus. Is there somewhere we can talk?" The morning light reveals a heavy burden the man carries on his shoulders.

Enzo looks around, noticing his neighbor across the street is picking up a newspaper, other than that they are alone. Enzo motions for the man to come in, "Coffee?" Enzo asks as he shuts the door.

Atticus nods, "Thank you."

Upon closer inspection, Atticus is young, too young to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Enzo sits down on the couch with two mugs as Atticus stands by the fire place, watching the embers. Enzo clears his throat and Atticus becomes tense. Atticus sighs, the tension leaving his body, as he moves to sit on a chair perpendicular to Enzo.

Enzo settles back, "Pretty bold of you to come here, two weeks before the full moon."

To Atticus's credit he doesn't react to the thinly veiled threat. "Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice a vampire at the party last night." He pauses, weighting his options before, "The wolves aren't very fond of vampires staying in the area, and they are willing to get rid of them by any means necessary."

Enzo sighs deeply, "It's not even seven." he murmurers.

Atticus drowns his coffee while Enzo collects his thoughts. Enzo meets the young werewolf's eyes, "Why are you telling me this?"

Pain flashes through Atticus's eyes and his hands tighten their grip on the empty mug, "My father was human. He was turned against his will into a vampire, and-" he swallows, "and the pack showed no mercy."

His hazel eyes have a far off look, while Enzo contemplates what this means. "So, is this a visit to organize revenge? Or just a warning?" Enzo questions.

Atticus loosens his grip on the mug as he sinks into himself, "Not all vampires are monsters. My dad wasn't." His last sentence was more to himself than Enzo. Atticus focuses on Enzo, "This is a warning."

Enzo nods, "Thank you. But I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."

Atticus resigns himself to the thought, "Good luck."

Enzo offers him a sympathetic smile as he walks a man full of sorrow out of his house. Once the door is shuts Enzo allows his tiredness to seep through. He would like to know why a peaceful existence seems to always be just outside of reach

 **A/N This is dedicated to** **Loveklaroline for all the support! I can't promise that the next update will be soon, but I'll try.**


	8. Chapter 8

Caroline walks down, shortly after Atticus leaves. Enzo looks up from his Newspaper, sensing something off; her gait seems sluggish, and her skin paler than normal.

She lifts her hair into a messy bun as she yawns, and he sees a dusting of what appears to be charcoal on the base of her neck. The newspaper flitters to the ground as Enzo pushed Caroline's hair back.

He ignored her shocked gasp as he tries in vain to rub the charcoal letters from her neck.

"What is it?" She asks, annoyed.

Enzo steps back, letting her hair fall back, "Exitus."

Caroline pours herself a cup of coffee and mixes in some o-neg before saying, "What?"

Enzo sighs, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, "It's Latin for exit, departure, sometimes loosely translated to demise or ending."

Caroline raises an eyebrow as she sips her drink. Enzo takes a deep breath, "You're dying."

Confusion works its way across her face as she tries to form a response. "You were probably hexed last night."

He sees a light bulb go off in her cold eyes, "So we just find a witch to undo it." Her voice says the matter is solved.

"I don't think it will be that easy." Enzo pushes off the counter and begins to pace, "I think the witches and werewolves are working together."

Before he could elaborate Caroline says, "And what gives you that idea?"

A smile ghosts his face, even in this state she is still impatient. "Last night you got hexed, and then a werewolf called me from your phone."

"I was with a werewolf last night?" Caroline asks, disbelief and shock evident in her tone.

Enzo turns to look at her, "Yes, the one that called me to pick you up from the party?"

"You were there?" Caroline ask more to herself than to him.

Enzo is beginning to get concerned, vampires don't experience the side effects humans do when it comes to alcohol. "Yes. And he showed up this morning, to warn me about the hate the werewolves in the area feel for vampires." Enzo gestures to her neck, "This has me thinking that the witches and werewolves are working together."

"Ella?" Caroline suggests.

Enzo shakes his head, "She's not strong enough." She would have to break the spell that is channeling his power to block magic to channel him, and even then he doesn't know if she can handle it.

He looks at her, in the light, her skin appears more grey then pale. He sighs, it's only been six hours since he's picked her up, he can't even begin to imagine what another six will do.

"I need to shower." Caroline announces as she puts her empty mug in the sink.

Enzo lets out a somber laugh; she's dying and yet she doesn't care.

Caroline crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, not getting the joke.

He wants to shout at her, shake her until she can fear for her life, like he is, but instead he just says, "Pack a bag."

She turns, the previous moment forgotten.

Enzo takes his own advice and heads to his room to pack. He packs a bag before settling on his bed to look up airline flights, knowing the logistics would never work with Caroline looking more and more like death every second.

Feeling useless, he packs his car with as much blood as they have, and then goes inside to get Caroline. He finds her curled up in a ball, shivering, as she lays on her bed. He doesn't know if she will make it to Mystic Falls. He can't remember the last time he felt a chill run though his body as he lays a hand on Caroline, "Gorgeous?" His voice soft with concern.

"Are we closer to New Orleans than Mystic Falls?" She whispers.

He gathers her up, "What's there?"

"Who." She sighs.

They're out of Miami by the time she elaborates, "Klaus Mikaelson."

 **A/N Random timeline issue, what season of The Originals does this (Season 6 of the Vampire Diaries) take place?**

 **I'm sorry for the really late update, but I have not given up on this story and will see it through. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

 **Until next time!**

 ** **A la prochaine!****


	9. Chapter 9

"Camille, what do I owe the pleasure?" Klaus smirks.

He can practically see her eye roll, "I just thought you'd want to know that there's a vampire looking for you. He didn't seem to friendly."

Klaus tilts his head, listening to a car pull up, "I believe my visitor is here, thank you Camille."

Klaus waits until he hears the visitor enter the compound before going to greet his visitor. "You have 30 seconds to tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you stand." Klaus threatens.

Klaus senses the fear in the man, but what's shocking is it isn't him that fills the visitor with fear. The man turns, a limp figure in his arms.

"She said you would help." The intruder conveys in a calm, steady manner. Klaus notices from the mans demeanor and accent that he's from another era.

Klaus was about to ask who when he notices the figure is a girl with sun kissed hair and greying skin. "Caroline." Klaus is voice is barely above a whisper, stunned to see the blonde again.

"Follow me." Klaus instructs the man before sending Freya a text.

Klaus leads the man to a guest room, and then instructs him to lay Caroline down. He watches as the man gently places Caroline down, before piling blankets on top of her.

"What happened?" Klaus demands.

The other man sighs in irritation, and Klaus just about rips his head of. "Apparently Miami werewolves and witches aren't too fond of vampires."

Klaus tries to suppress his anger, suspecting if this man was to die at his hand Caroline would not be happy.

"What's the emergency?" Freya asks.

Klaus was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice her come in.

"She's been hexed." The man says, gesturing to Caroline. Freya's eyes dart to Klaus, and he nods.

The man lifts Caroline's head, brushing her hair aside and Freya sighs, "It's a strong spell, but whoever did this must not have thought to protect the spell."

"What does the mean?" Klaus demands.

Freya sighs, "All I have to do is draw the power into something else," Freya digs through the bag she brought and pulls out a desert rose, "like an empty vessel."

Thirty minutes later the desert rose goes from creamy white to midnight black. Klaus watches as the stranger sits next to Caroline throughout the process, not offering physical comfort, just silent support. Klaus wonders who this man is, and more importantly, who he is to her.

"Why isn't she getting better?" The man asks.

Freya looks at her, "She should be by now." Freya closes her eyes, and her hands hover above Caroline as she chants. Her eyes open, "There's something drawing on her magic, preventing it from healing her."

The man takes Caroline's daylight ring off her right hand, "Is it this?"

Freya takes the ring, closes her eyes, and then jumps. "Yes. Who are you hiding from?" She asks, examining the ring. "It's an incredibly powerful spell."

Klaus looks at the man in a new light, wondering what secrets he holds and what he's dragged Caroline into.

"Can you help her?" The man asks.

Freya notices he didn't answer her question, but she doesn't comment, "I can. But I'm going to need to undo the spell, so it stops drawing her power. I'm also going to need your ring too, since they are bound together, drawing power from both of you."

The man gives Freya his ring without hesitation, making him vulnerable to the sun, which is set to rise in 5 hours.

"This is going to take a while." Freya says, and Klaus picks up on her hint to leave.

"Why don't we get a drink." Klaus suggests to their guest.

He's no fool, but he can't defy Klaus. They silently walk to the parlor. "Who are you?" Klaus asks, pouring them each a glass of whiskey.

"Lorenzo St. John." Klaus doesn't recognize the name.

"What are you hiding from, Lorenzo?" Klaus asks, handing him a glass.

"Nothing." Lorenzo replies, but seeing Klaus's dissatisfaction mixed with anger he choose to elaborate before Klaus drops his attempt to be civil, "She just lost her mom."

Klaus drops his fake smile, and Lorenzo continues, "She wanted a year to escape, but she had to leave the abyss of drama in Mystic Falls before she could. I just went along with the spell so she would trust my friend."

Before Klaus could ask anymore questions Lorenzo's phone rings. Lorenzo looks at it and sighs, "I'm sorry, but I have to take this." He leaves before Klaus acknowledges the semi-polite apology.

Klaus drowns his glass before going back to see Caroline. He finds Freya cleaning up, "Will you put the spell back on their rings?" Klaus asks.

Freya looks to him, "So they aren't a threat?"

"She isn't." Klaus says as he watches the colour return to her skin.

Freya grabs a vial of Caroline's blood. "Where's the other one?" She asks.

Taking a moment to tilt his head, to find Lorenzo, before answering "By his car." Freya nods before leaving.

Klaus sits on the edge of Caroline's bed, careful not to disturb her. A few minutes later her sky eyes return with her strength.

"Love, I heard about your mother. I'm sorry." When she doesn't react, his suspicions are confirmed.

"You don't deserve this." His voice soft as he lightly brushes a loose strand of hair from her face.

Klaus leans in, eyes connecting with her, eyes dilating, "Turn it on." He instructs.

 **A/N I have a hard time writing Klaus, so please let me know how I did and how I can improve. This is my first time writing Freya, so I hope I did her justice.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Until Next time!**

 **A la prochaine!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Damon, I'm kind of in the-" Enzo starts, forgoing a greeting.

Damon interrupts, " _Well whatever it is it can wait. Bonnie knows where Caroline is. New Orleans_."

Enzo suppresses a sigh, knowing that this news is just going to cause more trouble.

" _I know you're off exploring, so I was wondering how close you are?_ " Damon says.

Enzo chuckles, " _Let me guess, you want to 'rescue' Elena's friend so she will fall back in love with you._ "

" _Elena's always loved a hero. Plus Stefan wants to come with me, he has it stuck in his head that he needs to save Caroline from a humanity-less life to make amends for letting her down or something. If Stefan comes, then Elena will find out and follow, and that will just lead to more trouble."_

Enzo feels rage at Stefan's name, knowing the green-eyed vampire just wants to be in Caroline's good graces again. Enzo owes Mystical Falls nothing, but a world of pain for the suffering he endured, but he knows he has to play along for Damon to keep the gang from coming, "I'll see what I find." Enzo says.

" _Thank you._ " Damon sounds as if a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

Enzo hangs up without another word, hearing Klaus's witch coming.

She looks tired, "Nice car." She says.

Enzo smiles, "Thank you..." Leaving the comment in hanging, hoping she will fill in the blank.

She gives him a smile, the first on he's seen on her, "Freya."

"Enzo. Thank you for everything Freya." Enzo is more sincere then he intended to be, but he owes this witch more than she will ever know.

Freya looks away, not used to gratitude, before getting back to the task she intended on complete when she went to find him. "I need some of your blood, to do the spell."

Enzo gestures for the knife in her hand, the one covered in Caroline's blood, and slices his hand open. Freya collects the blood, "I just need some herbs, and then you will be ready to leave."

"Do you need any help?" Enzo offers, knowing this witch is extremely kind to a couple of strangers.

Freya appears shocked; if he had to guess he would say the vampires in her life expect a lot from her with little in return. "No thank you."

She pauses before leaving, "Do you know why my brother would help your friend?"

She must see the confusion on his face, "Klaus Mikelson isn't known for being helpful; especially to people outside of his family."

"I didn't expect you to be his sister." He raises an eyebrow.

She lets out a humorless laugh, "Is it the heartbeat or the fact that he treats me like a lackey?"

He smirks, "A little bit of both."

She looks away, "It's a long story." She brushes a loose strand back before meeting his eyes.

He clears his throat, "I just got the cliff-notes version on the way here, but from what I understand, your brother has a bit of a crush on her."

Enzo watches as she puts the pieces together "It's a little more than that." She whispers.

She then gives him a sad smile, "You're a good friend."

She's gone before Enzo can say anything.

He watches longs after she leaves, wondering what she will do with this news.

Enzo makes his way back into the compound, hoping Caroline is still asleep, so he doesn't have to share Damon's news. His hopes are dashed when he finds Caroline, who is in stark contrast to when they first arrived, sitting on a bench near the fountain. Her hair is perfect, clothes pristine, and skin healthy, the only thing out of place is the frown on her face.

"Hello, gorgeous." He greets, a smirk on his face.

She makes eye contact, and he can feel the ice that has encompassed her soul from lack of caring. "Klaus tried to compel me." She states.

Enzo knows that's impossible, with the amount of vervain they drink, as a plan B encase Mystic Falls gang ever convinced an Original to compel Caroline. Enzo sits next to her, careful to leave a lot of room between them, feeling dread settling within him. He leaves silence hanging between them, not wanting her to feel as if he's forcing her hand.

After realizing Caroline doesn't have anything else to say, he brings up some news, "Damon called. He says that Bonnie found you."

Caroline looks at her right hand, where her daylight ring used to be.

"He asked for me to come looking for you before the Mystic Falls gang sets out. "

She nods, "We need to get our rings."

"Freya-" Enzo starts, but then sees the look of confusion on Caroline's face, "the witch that helped you, is putting a spell on our rings."

"Then we need to get as far away from here as possible." Caroline states. He has a feeling this has more to do with Klaus then her friends trying to bring her home.

He leans his elbows on his knees, "Gorgeous, you need to get out of here. Damon will be expecting me when they arrive." He sighs, "We also need to get the bartender, Camille, and Klaus to cover for you. I have a feeling they'll leave no rock turned over."

He looks in her eyes, hoping to see something, but all he gets is a void.

"Go back to Florida. Stay away from school, and avoid the witches. The full moon is not for another 10 days." Enzo instructs.

"Let's go talk to Klaus." Caroline's voice is flat.

Enzo notices her lack of regard to the tension in the room. Klaus is brimming with anger, but keeps it in check as she relays the information to him.

The Original waits for her to stop before leaning against a wall, "I'll keep your secret. I'll even talk to Camille. But on one condition."

The stare Klaus gives Caroline makes Enzo realize Freya is right; Klaus's 'crush' on Caroline is a lot more than what she told him.

"Call me when you turn it back on." His voice is soft.

She slowly walks over to Klaus and puts her hands on his shoulder. "Thank you." She says before standing on her toes and giving him a peck on the check. Enzo watches as the Original seems to be thrown off by the blonde vampire. The moment is gone as soon as it came.

Klaus's eyes leave Caroline once she's gone. The Original suddenly becomes unreadable, but Enzo echos Caroline nevertheless, "Thank you."

He uses his vampire speed to meet Caroline in the room she was before. They wait a few moments in silence before Freya appears.

"The spell was beautiful and fun to deconstruct." Freya comments.

Enzo smiles, feeling lighter now that Caroline is hidden. "Thank you."

Freya returns his smile this time.

Caroline looks at her, "Thank you, Freya!"

"Safe travels." Freya says before leaving them alone.

He watches Caroline as they head towards the car. Klaus unintentionally broke one of Caroline's requests; now there's nothing holding her back.

She looks over her shoulder, and for a moment he's stunned by how familiar and how strange she looks. "Don't worry, I won't kill anyone."

He begins to wonder what happened between Caroline and Klaus after he tried to compel her. He won't ask though; it's not his place.

Enzo opens the door for Caroline, but she pauses before she enters. Caroline's blue eyes pierce him before she engulfs him in a hug. He tenses at first, not used to contact, before hugging her back. He can tell this is more muscle memory than spontaneity, but a small part of him wishes it's because she will miss him; he quickly brushes that aside.

He pulls away before his selfish heart can read any more into it. "Let me know when you're in Florida. Then I'll call Damon."

She nods before getting in the car. She pauses, "It's going to be weird without you there." Then promptly shuts the door, gives him a quick wave, and leaves.

His brain is relieved that he gets a break from watching the shell of Caroline exist in the world, but his heart longs to be in Florida. He pulls himself from his inner quarrel and grabs his stuff to go find a hotel.

 **A/N this is Season 2 of The Originals, so that's why Freya and Klaus are at odds, he doesn't trust her yet to welcome her into the family.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time!**

 **A la prochaine!**


	11. Chapter 11

It takes two rings for Damon to pick up.

" _Please tell me this trip won't be a waste of time."_ He hears the annoyance in Damon's voice.

Enzo sighs, " _I started asking around and then got sent to some guy named Klaus-"  
_

 _"As in the Original?"_ Damon asks.

" _I guess. Anyway, he wanted to know who I was and what I was doing. He then confessed he hasn't seen or heard from her."_ Enzo explains.

He hears a muffled argument before Damon says, " _Elena insists that Bonnie's never wrong, so Klaus must be hiding something."_ The exasperation is evident in Damon's voice.

Any hope of them staying in Mystic Falls is quickly pushed aside. " _I guess I'll see you in New_ _Orleans_." Enzo sighs.

" _Stefan drives like a grandma, so don't hold your breath."_ Damon says before the line goes dead.

Enzo wraps himself in the familiar embrace of solitude. He goes to a hole in the wall bar, one where no one will notice his supernatural status.

The Mystic Falls gang arrive sooner than expected; Enzo knows Damon could only keep them away for so long. Damon calls, much to Enzo's surprise, before unleashing Stefan and Elena on New Orleans. They agree to meet at the compound.

A mile before he gets there, Caroline's face lights up his phone and dread pools in his stomach. " _Gorgeous_." He answers.

" _Atticus is here. He's covered in blood. He says he wants to talk to you."_ She relays; her tone could be one of feigned small talk with a neighbor.

Enzo sighs, knowing he doesn't have time for this, but Caroline isn't exactly in the helpful mood.

The sigh was enough for Caroline to let Atticus on, " _It's on speaker._ " She says.

Atticus's panicked voice soon follows. " _They want war."_

Enzo stops walking.

" _So? The full moon is not for another 9 days."_ Caroline states.

" _They have the witches on their side."_ Atticus says.

" _When will they attack?"_ Enzo asks.

Atticus exhales, "Five days."

Enzo knows Klaus could handle the Mystic Falls gang, but he also knows that Damon is too smart to just let his disappearance go without question. The last thing he needs is Damon to put everything together.

" _Good. So we can start preparing tomorrow."_ Caroline makes the decision for him.

Her cold indifference makes Enzo want to set the world on fire.

* * *

Enzo is last to arrive.

"I'm glad you could make it." Klaus snaps.

Enzo suppresses a sarcastic comment, knowing they need to get through this quickly.

"Girl troubles?" Damon smirks.

Enzo can hear Stefan scoff and feel Klaus's eyes burn into his head. Before Enzo could comment, Elena speaks up.

"We know Caroline was here, and we know that your town isn't warm to newcomers." Enzo can hear the threat in Elena's voice, but he doesn't know how she will back it up.

Damon sighs deeply. Stefan looks expectant. Klaus looks amused.

Damon speaks up before things escalate, "Klaus, we were just wondering if you've heard from her recently."

"Is she missing? Or did she leave?" Klaus asks, clearly knowing the answer.

They stumble.

Klaus nods, "From what I've heard," he gives Enzo a pointed look, "she left by choice. Wanting a break from this." He gestures to them.

Enzo is surprised by the patience Klaus shows, expecting him to lose his cool and chase everyone away.

"She's not thinking straight." Stefan argues.

"So you're telling me that Caroline isn't capable of taking care of herself." Klaus states.

Enzo wonders how long Klaus can be patient with them.

Damon must be thinking the same thing because he speaks up, "Is it possible she could have past through without anyone noticing?"

Klaus sighs in frustration, "As I've told your friend, I know about every vampire that passes through. I got a call about you the moment you passed the welcome sign."

"Creepy." Damon says.

"As much fun as this was," sarcasm thick in his voice, "I must go." Klaus dismisses them.

Elena waits until they're by the car before speaking up, "He's hiding something. She was here."

"He's always hiding something." Damon snaps.

"Trouble in paradise?" Enzo says loud enough for Damon to hear.

Damon shoots him a glare.

Stefan also glares at Enzo, "What did you tell him?"

Enzo shrugs, "The truth."

He watches as Stefan's face floods with anger. Damon notices it too; he places a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Elena is oblivious to the tension around her. "What does he have to gain for hiding Caroline?" Elena wonders aloud.

"The guy does things just to mess with people." Damon says.

Stefan shrugs his brother's hand off.

Elena frowns, "Bonnie says that Caroline appeared and disappeared here. So we should start with the witches."

"They're not friendly." Enzo states.

"It's our best shot." Stefan retorts.

Enzo's not in the mood to fight with Stefan. "Suit yourself."

Damon follows Enzo as Stefan and Elena chat.

Enzo stops when they're out of vampire earshot.

"I have a flight to catch." Enzo says.

Damon sighs, "So your not coming back?"

Enzo smirks, "Mystic Falls is nothing but Augustine for me. Plus your annoying little brother."

Damon laughs. But quickly sobers up, "Want to grab a quick drink while these two play Sherlock?"

Enzo pauses, but he sees the tension in Damon's shoulders. "Is Stefan Watson?"

* * *

Enzo steers clear of Rousseau's, not really in the mood for the stares they give newcomers.

"It's a dead end." Enzo says as they sit down at the bar of some pub whose name is already forgotten.

Damon sighs, "I know. But what am I suppose to do? Elena is too stubborn to give up."

Enzo nods; there's no use in trying to change Damon's mind.

Damon clears his throat, "Thanks for trying."

Enzo stays quiet, knowing this isn't the reason he wanted a drinking partner.

Damon waits until his third drink before saying, "My mom's a vampire." He watches as the tension leaves Damon. Maybe Damon's problem is his mom, not Elena's memories.

Enzo doesn't know what to say to that. Damon's always had his issues with his parents.

"She's in a prison world." Damon continues.

This gets Enzo's attention. He knows that the Gemini Coven reserves that for evil supernatural creatures. "I'm guessing Stefan doesn't know." Enzo deduces otherwise Damon wouldn't be talking to him about this.

"I don't want to ruin Stefan's memories of his mom." Damon explains.

Damon pauses. "I saw her on my way back from 1994. I asked Kai to look into it."

Enzo slides over his drink; Damon gives him a grateful look before drowning it. "Apparently she was a ripper in Europe. But the coven caught wind of her when she murdered a ship full of people on her way to America."

Enzo feels his stomach drop.

"When did this happen?" Enzo asks.

Damon glances at the bartender, "November 1, 1903."

Enzo remembers her well, and now looking at Damon, he can see the resemblance.

The bartender pulls Enzo from his memories with fresh drinks. "Are you doing to bring her back?" Enzo asks. Enzo has his own questions for her, but he keeps that to himself.

"I don't know." Damon pauses, "She's a monster, but she's also my mother."

 **A/N Sorry for the boring chapter.**

 **I just wanted to update everyone on Mystic Falls.**

 **Until next time!**

 **A la prochaine!**


	12. Chapter 12

Atticus exhales, "Five days."

"Good. So we can start preparing tomorrow." Caroline says. Thinking four days is more than enough time to stop the werewolves.

She tosses her phone on the couch.

Atticus shifts from foot to foot on top of the towel Caroline laid out for him. She didn't want to get blood on Enzo's floor.

"Why? We haven't killed anyone." Caroline stalks around him.

It takes him a moment to realize what she's talking about.

Atticus sighs, "I haven't been honest."

Caroline raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. She tilts her head, waiting for him to elaborate.

The hurried tone in Atticus's voice suggests Caroline looks menacing. "I've betrayed them twice. First by hiding my Dad, now by talking to you. The war is between the two sides of the pack."

Now She's lost, "What do we have to do with your betrayal? Or this war?"

"My mom is the alpha." Atticus admits.

Then everything clicks, Atticus is something like a werewolf prince and his rebellion against what the wolves stand for is probably causing a lot of tension in the pack.

Caroline lets out a bark of laughter, "So mommy's mad, and now she's taking it out on us?"

Atticus doesn't say anything. She can tell he's scared. "Actually if I kill you, and prove myself to the pack, they won't try and overthrow my mom." He explains.

In the space of a breath, his back is against the wall, being held there by her hand around his neck. She feels his pulse pick up under her fingers, but he does nothing to push her off. She no longer cares about getting blood on the floor. Or wall.

"Well get it over with then." She taunts.

He wraps his hands around her arm as he gaps for breath. "Please put me down." He chokes out.

She drops him. It's not like he can do anything to her now anyway.

He swallows a few breaths before gently getting back to his feet. "I don't want to kill you." He whispers.

"It's not like it would be your first kill." she states.

Atticus's hazel eyes flash gold in a moment of anger and grief before he looks to the floor.

"It was an accident. I was angry." He meets her eyes. His are hazel once more.

She rolls her eyes, "Werewolves and their anger management problems."

She can practically feel the anger rolling off of him, but to her surprise, the young werewolf just relaxes instead of yelling.

"I came over to see if you two would be willing to leave. That might be enough to satisfy the pack. No one has to die." He says, more to himself than her.

She shakes her head. She's not going to just up and leave because some werewolves are unhappy.

He nods, expecting as much. His shoulders stoop forward, making him look small. And for some reason, Caroline wants to help him.

"Stay here." She says.

He looks up in confusion, watching as she disappears upstairs.

She goes to the Enzo's closet, surprised at how full it is since he cycles through seven shirts. But upon closer inspection, the majority is what she got him back when they were living in hotels. She grabs the short sleeve button up with palm trees that Enzo said he would never wear, before putting it back and grabbing a red polo and some shorts. She also steals one of his towels (she doesn't want her's smelling like a werewolf) and heads back downstairs.

Atticus hasn't moved.

"There's an outdoor shower that you can use." She holds the clothes out for him.

He gives her a blank stare. "I forgot the soap." She shoves the clothes into his hands. She uses her vampire speed to grab some extra soap and is back before he could even process she's gone.

"Thanks." He says, a little dazed by her display of power.

* * *

She picks Enzo up at the airport. Irritated that he missed his first flight.

She can feel his eyes on her after he gets in. She can tell that he wants something from her. Without emotions, she's cut off from him.

A moment passes, and he sighs looking out the window.

"Are they off the trail?" She merges into traffic.

"Yes." There's more on the tip of his tongue.

He doesn't continue, and she doesn't push.

The silence must be too much for him, so he turns on the radio. He frowns at her taste in music, switching through her presets.

"I'm sorry I don't listen to old man music." She jabs.

He gives her a soft smile before settling on a station that plays bluesy rock music. She doesn't totally hate it.

The radio sits between them as they head home.

 **A/N Caroline is a lot harder to write than I was anticipating. If you have any suggestions on how to write her better, please leave them in the comments below.**

 **Until next time!**

 ** **A la prochaine!****


	13. Chapter 13

She kicks her shoes off and grabs a bottle of vodka.

Enzo shuts the door behind him. She watches as he slowly turns around, back tense. "Why does it smell like bleach?"

"Blood." She shrugs before falling into the couch. She does not want to deal with werewolf drama today. Or ever.

She looks into his deep brown eyes. She sees nothing. He's the first to break contact and looks right over the couch and into the backyard.

He was drawn inward, which wasn't unusual, but now he's full of something. She's not sure what, but it's something that causes him to get tense. "Why is there a werewolf on the hammock?"

Oh, she forgot to tell him about Atticus staying the night. "Today's the tomorrow we talked about yesterday." She says, letting the empty bottle rest on the floor.

He relaxes a fraction. "Why was Atticus here?" His eyes land on her.

She stares for a moment, trying to read him. He was always difficult to read, but now he's impossible. "I just told you."

Enzo demeanor and eyes change, confusion she remembers. "Why did he stay the night?"

She fills him in on what happened why he was in New Orleans.

"That doesn't explain why he's here." Enzo has settled next to her, his tone soft. He looks at her like a puzzle; it makes her uncomfortable.

He makes her uncomfortable. The question makes her uncomfortable. She does not like it when people (or vampires) question her motives. But it's Enzo, and he has yet to hurt her.

"It's what I would have done." She answers. Acting 'normal' has gotten extremely hard. She doesn't know how to be in this world anymore.

His brown eyes shift, and she lets out a growl in frustration, not knowing what it means.

"Is that why you go to college? Get straight As? Party? Stay here? Involve yourself with the drama of the town?" He invades her space, "It's like you never left Mystic Falls."

Caroline connects the dots to his questions. She sits up, making her much closer to him than she anticipated.

Enzo doesn't move; he waits for her.

She's bored, so she thought that by following her life and from before she would somehow achieve the happiness from before. But she hasn't. Instead, she's just living the life she wanted to get away from. And it sucks.

She pushes off the couch, away from Enzo and his uncomfortable questions. They're out of vodka, so she settles for whiskey mixed with blood.

His eyes don't leave her, and somehow, the distance makes it more pronounced. She leans against the counter, meeting his eyes.

"What do you want?" His tone goes back to being soft.

He begins to walk toward her; slow, confident steps. "You've wasted four months living in your comfort zone." He stops, leaving the island between them.

'I didn't even know you could have a comfort zone without emotion." He lets out a small laugh; she doesn't know what's funny.

"You have eight months. Eight months without a single feeling of regret or guilt. Or grief. What do you want to do?" His voice has an edge to it.

He doesn't wait for her answer. "My bed better not smell like wet dog."

She watches him walk off. His long legs take him away before she could finish her drink.

 _'What does she want?'_ That question keeps playing in her head. It's been a long time since she's entertained that idea.

 **A/N**

 **Until next time!**

 ** **A la prochaine!****


	14. Chapter 14

Enzo stares at the ceiling, letting the salty breeze bring him into the moment.

He is soon pulled back into his mind as he gets a faint smell that is distinctly Caroline.

He must be selfish because he wants to leave. Leave her behind to face this numb existence by herself. But he can't, being alone is a fate he wouldn't wish on anyone.

Pulling away from those thoughts, he wonders what she'll do. She can't seem to make up her mind. Even when there's no pressure from her friends, family, society, she still lives as if she has something to prove. He wonders if she continues to 'do the right thing' because she doesn't know anything else or because she knows she will be back one day.

He sighs, sitting up. There's no use wondering about that. It's not like it will change anything.

His closet smells like Caroline. He expects it to be color coordinated or something; instead, he finds some clothes pays it no mind and begins to fill his suitcase with a few articles of clothing and some personal items. Caroline isn't going to stay here, especially after their earlier conversation. Plus, she's always had a soft spot for werewolves. He's always chalked it up to her being a kind person (or because of Tyler, her first love. Or Klaus, her, well he's not really sure).

Enzo slides the suitcase under his bed before lying down. He hasn't slept in four days and could really use a nap before Caroline picks out their next location.

* * *

Caroline opens his door and flops down next to him. "Ow. Your bed is so hard."

Not as hard as the stone floors of Augustine. He sits up, noticing her bags by the door. She looks like she saw someone else's excitement, and is trying it out for herself. It's either that or she can't fool him; he knows her eyes are empty rather brimming with life.

"Pack a bag." She gives him a nudge.

Her touch doesn't even feel the same.

He says none of those things. "Did you tell Atticus?" He knows the werewolf will be happy if they leave, it might prevent his pack from splitting up.

She tilts her head, her hair falling off her shoulder as she gives him a look full of confusion. "Why?"

"You'll regret it." He doesn't want her to look back and regret this; she will already regret so much.

She looks at him, eyes scanning his face. He lets her, not bothering to ask questions. She huffs but gets up.

 **A/N**

 **Until next time!**

 ** **A la prochaine!****


	15. Chapter 15

They're in New York for less than a week when Damon calls.

Enzo steps out of a bar (he was finally able to talk Caroline out of going to a club, again).

"Damon, I'm not in the mood for Mystic Falls drama." He goes with that in lieu of a greeting.

Damon sighs, " _Sorry to disappoint, but it's not that dramatic. Alaric and Jo are getting married. They wanted to invite you."_

That was not what he was expecting. "Why?"

Damon chuckles, _"Well, it's more like, I don't want to deal with an alcohol-free wedding by myself."_

"Elena-" Enzo starts

" _She's human. All of her memories are back. Stefan doesn't think we should get back together._ " Damon leaves off the fact that his brother might be right.

Enzo sighs, and that's all Damon needs, " _So it's in three weeks. A rush job because of the baby. See you then."_

Damon's gone before Enzo could even utter a word.

Enzo stares at his phone for a moment before looking to find Caroline sitting at the bar, head on her shoulder, and hand on a drink as she shamelessly flirts with the man next to her (an aspiring actor if he recalls correctly). She's been more free, since leaving Miami. He's not sure she'll look back at moments like these and feel happiness, but at least she's shaken off her Mystic Falls funk.

He could slip away for a couple of days, and the world wouldn't end. And maybe he could get some answers about Lily.

* * *

He spent the night thinking about Lily. He knew her for less than a day, yet she showed him kindness. Something that he's learned is few and far between.

But he doesn't just want to drop his own emotional baggage on Damon. Especially since Damon seems to be on the edge of spiraling.

There's an unbiased person he can seek help from sleeping down the hall. Enzo sits up and silently walks from their living room to the narrow hall that holds the bedrooms and bathrooms. He hears the shower running and peeks into Caroline's room. A man is sleeping on her bed, a steady pulse despite the dried blood on his neck. He makes his way back through the living room and into the kitchen, hoping the smell of coffee and blood will shorten the length of her shower.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Caroline is standing in her bathrobe, wet hair thrown over her shoulder, leaning on the counter.

"Alaric and Jo are getting married." He drops the news on her as he hands her a warm mug.

"They didn't ask me to plan it?" She asks.

He shakes his head, leaning against the counter opposite of her. "It's in three weeks, and I'm going." He quickly rattles off.

She empties the mug.

He looks away from her, nervous for some reason. "Lily, the vampire who turned me, is Damon's mum."

Her silence causes him to turn to her; she doesn't care. This is the reaction he wanted, yet he feels hollow. "She's a vampire stuck in a prison world, similar to how Bonnie and Damon were."

She gets herself more coffee.

"They can get her out. But she's a ripper, who has killed thousands of people. But Damon is still unsure about leaving her in there. He has some questions for her and wants to find peace with the mother he knew and the truth he just found out." He leaves his dilemma out.

Caroline studies him, and, for a moment, he thinks she might see his pain. "It sounds like she's where she belongs."

He doesn't want an unbiased opinion; he wants a friend.

She relaxes, "If you want to talk to her, then go. Find a way to get her out or go in." She gives him an empty smile, and maybe he got exactly what he needed.

Before he could process what just happened, last nights dinner walks out in his boxers, "Coffee." He mumbles.

"Trust me, you don't want that." Enzo warns.

The man looks stunned before turning to Caroline, "You didn't tell me you had a boy friend."

"He's not my boyfriend." She rolls her eyes as she pushes off the counter and stalks toward him. The man slowly begins to realize that she has a predatory grace about her. She reaches him before he could move. Her pupils dilate. "You got drunk. Spent the night at a cute blonde's apartment and left."

The man's brown eyes dilate as he repeats the sentence.

She pats his shoulder, "Good. Now go home."

The man heads towards the door, but Caroline stops him, "Don't forget your stuff."

He robotically shifts toward the hallway.

Caroline spins to face Enzo. "I'm going to the wedding."

He begins to mentally list all the reasons why that's a bad idea, but he voices none. It's not like she would listen to him.

 **A/N**

 **Until next time!**

 **à la prochaine!**


	16. Chapter 16

Enzo's discomfort is obvious enough that Caroline picks up on it.

She glances at him from the passenger seat and reaches over to put a hand on his shoulder. It does nothing to ease his tension, but it does draw him out of his head.

"I don't see this ending well." His voice is even, not giving anything away.

His eyes don't leave the road, and she retracts her hand. "No one will do anything dramatic. They don't want to ruin the wedding."

She plays with the radio, changing from rock, which earns her a glance (that she can't decipher) from Enzo, before settling on pop.

He glances in his rear-view mirror, "I know I've been locked up for a while. But crashing a wedding is still rude."

"I'll reveal my presence a day before the wedding. It's not crashing if they know I'm coming. " She waves his worry away.

He turns toward her, eyes looking over her face, before turning back to the road.

The words are written across his face, but it's a foreign language. "What?" She snaps in frustration.

"Nothing." His voice sounds far away.

She huffs and turns away from him, resisting the urge to cross her arms. She doesn't care that she looks childish, she wants to understand the world again.

She doesn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing she knows, Enzo is idling in her driveway.

"Home sweet home." He looks at her. The darkness hides his face.

Her blue eyes land on the house, and she sifts through her childhood memories (good and bad), watching the emotions but not feeling them. The house is just as empty as her.

"See you at the rehearsal tomorrow." She says before the car door shuts behind her.

Enzo waits until she's in her house before leaving.

It smells the same, a bit stale, but definitely her house. It's also dust free; she wonders who's been cleaning it.

All the alcohol is still here. So definitely not Damon. Her lips tilt upward at the thought of Damon dusting. She makes her way to the kitchen, noticing a neat pile of mail, including a familiar box.

The box has been opened and resealed. Enzo's neat handwriting is on top. She rips the box open, finding her old phone. Unsurprisingly, it's dead. Caroline makes her way to her room, passing the family pictures; it starts off as whole (three people who love each other) but then shrinks as she gets closer to the end. She ignores the pictures, just like she ignores the closed door of her mother's room. There's nothing in there for her anyway.

She makes it into her old room, noticing the pictures of her friends scattered along her walls. She stops by one, they were fourteen, with nothing but an endless future ahead of them. Now that she actually has an endless future, she realizes how foolish her younger self was. Their carefree smiles are frozen forever in time. Caroline picks the picture up, her current carefree smile looks exactly the same, but feels completely different. She puts the picture face down, now is not the time to dwell.

Caroline charges her phone and begins to look through her closet. She doesn't have anything to wear to the wedding, but a shopping trip with her best friends might ease some of the tension between them.

 **A/N Sorry for the boring chapter. I just wanted to set some things up for the next few chapters.**

 **Until next time!**

 ** **A la prochaine!****


	17. Chapter 17

Caroline wakes up to the sound of her front door opening. The intruder is slammed against the wall before the door even shuts.

Caroline senses the fear, but soon drops the intruder when she sees her face.

"Bonnie?" Caroline backs away.

Bonnie rubs her neck and eyes her friend, bunny slippers and all. Bonnie slowly gets up, "I didn't realize you were back."

"I'm sorry. If I knew it was you, I would never have..." Caroline gestures to her best friend. The apology does nothing to ease the tension.

Bonnie's eyes widen, "No. Don't be. If I knew you were home, I wouldn't have let myself in."

The awkwardness sits between them. Caroline doesn't know what to do to make it go away. "Tea? Coffee?" Caroline asks as she heads to the kitchen.

Bonnie hesitates, looking at the door before following.

Caroline feels Bonnie's eyes on her as she reacquaints herself with the kitchen. Luckily, the coffee hasn't expired.

"Thanks." Bonnie takes the offered mug.

Caroline sits across from her. "Thank you for cleaning the place and grabbing my mail."

Bonnie looks away before meeting her eyes. "Why are you back?"

"The wedding, of course!" Caroline ignores the way Bonnie flinches, "Which reminds me, I need to go dress shopping. Would you like to come? We can invite Elena."

Bonnie seems overwhelmed as she nods in silence, cup untouched.

* * *

It took three stores, but Caroline found a dress she liked. Elena's presence seemed to help ease the tension a little.

They stop to grab lunch.

"I notice your human again." Caroline gives Elena a pointed look.

The brunette jumps a little. "Yeah."

"So what are you going to do about Damon? Now that eternity is off the table." Caroline takes a sip of her coke.

Bonnie looks between her two friends but stays quiet. She's curious as well.

Elena pauses, playing with her straw. "I asked him if he wanted to become human. And I gave him some time to decide."

"Elena, honey. He isn't going to want to become human. Maybe at first, to be with you. But he will miss his high tolerance for alcohol. His ability to get away with anything. And his immortality." Caroline pats her friend on the arm.

Elena is stunned, and Bonnie looks conflicted.

"Besides, do you think him becoming human will make him any less of a monster?" Caroline asks.

Elena's face begins to redden, a blush sneaking up. Bonnie tenses.

The food arrives before Elena can react. Bonnie stays silent. Caroline thanks the waiter, since her friends seemed to have lost their voices.

She remembers hanging out with them being effortless, now it's confusing.

 **A/N** **Until Next Time!**

 **à la prochaine!**


	18. Chapter 18

Enzo didn't expect a warm welcome, but he was surprised by Stefan's shock that turned to anger. The younger Salvatore left without a word.

"Don't worry about him. He's been extra broody lately." Damon hands him a glass.

"Probably because you found out about Sarah Nelson." Damon gives him a pointed look.

It feels like a test. "I didn't tell her much. She didn't seem interested." Enzo shrugs.

Damon relaxes. "Just enough to pique her curiosity. She tracked us down, and I found her outside our front door."

"You weren't supposed to know." Enzo fills in the missing pieces. Stefan blames him.

"He compelled her to forget everything and sent her back to college." Damon sighs. "It's probably for the best. Humans and I have never gotten along."

Damon seems to forget Enzo's there. He just slowly walks around the parlor, pausing every now and then. "I'm not going to take the cure."

He does remember Enzo's presence, despite the far-away look in his eyes. He would have backed the fact that Damon love for Elena would lead him to do anything for her.

Damon focuses on Enzo he must see the surprise in his eyes. "I love her. But I would lose myself in humanity."

Enzo sits on the couch, appreciating the silence and space that New York City will never have. "What did you want before you knew about vampires?" Enzo knows playing devil's advocate might push Damon away. But he's curious.

Damon stops wandering around, looks into the embers of the dying fire. "To get the hell out of here." He lets out a humorless laugh. "I've been everywhere, and now I'm living in the place I hate."

"Why?" Enzo asks.

Damon looks at him. "I love her." _A_ _nd that's not enough anymore_ goes unsaid.

Damon leans against the wall, turning the conversation away from him. "What about you? What did you want to do before?" Always deflecting the emotional stuff.

"I didn't find out about vampires until I became one. Right before that, I was dying." Enzo thinks about Lily, trying to find an opening to ask about her without making it too obvious. He doesn't want to pressure Damon.

Damon rolls his eyes. "Before all that."

"Peace." Enzo leans back, finishing his drink. "I have been fighting my whole life. A struggle around every corner."

Enzo watches as Damon shows compassion for a brief moment. Damon shakes himself out of it, offering Enzo another drink.

"What about now? Have you found peace yet?" Damon asks. Enzo wonders if it's because Damon is at a crossroad or if he actually cares.

Then Enzo thinks about Caroline, and how he seems to be the only one fighting for her. "Not yet."

Damon must be tired of the heavy conversation he turns it to Alaric and how he's down a drinking buddy. Enzo lets him; Lily can wait another day.

 **A/N Until next time!**

 **À la prochaine!**


	19. Chapter 19

Enzo's phone lights up, Caroline's empty smile greets him. Enzo's grateful that he decided to stay at a rundown motel instead of the boarding house. Now he can speak freely, "Hello gorgeous."

He put's her on speaker, getting ready for the day, even though it's noon.

" _It's_ sooo _hard."_ She whines.

He can hear her pacing on the other end.

"What is?" Making his bed, even though someone will be by later to do it.

He can feel her rolling her eyes. " _Hanging out with them. I thought it would be fun like it use to be, now it's just,"_ her eyebrows are probably pressed together as she searches for the right word, " _tedious."_

"What did you expect?" He throws some clothes on.

She pauses. " _With you it's easy."_

He doesn't know what to say to that. So he goes with, "You're a different person."

She stays silent, he kind of hopes she's offended by his previous statement.

" _At least they have seemed to accept me now."_ He guesses she was hoping for some more drama.

He steps outside, enjoying it much more than Florida's humidity. "I'm going out-"

" _On a date?"_ The giddiness in her voice sounds a lot more sincere when he can't see her face.

He rolls his eyes he's not supplying her drama today. "No. I have to pick a few things to do." Like getting a suit, apologizing to Sarah, and grabbing a drink, he mentally lists off.

" _Like what?"_ She must need a distraction if she's asking about him.

He gets another call, Damon. He shuts his car door. "Damon's calling. I've got to go." She grumbles about missing out on the fun stuff before hanging up.

"Damon-" Enzo starts.

" _Elena called. Caroline's in town. Stefan's hero hair is messed up. You should stop by."_ With that, all of Enzo's plans fly out the window. Maybe he can get Caroline to get him a suit.

He suppresses a sigh, "I'll be there in a moment." He starts his car.

* * *

Enzo is presently surprised when he finds out Elena and Bonnie won't be joining them.

"We have to find her. And stop her." Stefan runs a hand through his hair.

"Stop her from what?" Enzo asks.

Stefan glares at him before turning to his brother. "Alaric's wedding is tomorrow. She's going to ruin it."

Enzo pushes off the wall he was leaning on, feeling the sudden need to punch Stefan in the face. "How do you know she's going to ruin it?"

Damon places a hand on Enzo's shoulder. "I agree with Enzo." Enzo relaxes, pulling away.

Damon pours himself a drink. "We've checked out all deaths that seemed to be supernatural. Here and in Louisiana. Nothing pointed to her."

Enzo's mildly surprised by their dedication.

Stefan's anger fades away. "I just want to be there for her. I wasn't when Liz-" He trails off.

Enzo pities the green-eyed vampire. Then he remembers that he how he almost died because of him, and the pity vanishes.

Damon does feel bad though, but Stefan's gone before Damon could say anything.

Enzo waits until he can no longer hear Stefan. "You called me here when you could have clearly handled your brother yourself. Why?"

Enzo watches as Damon slowly lets his guard down, blue eyes full of exhaustion. "Yesterday you talked about peace. It made me think of my mom. I think I should bring her back."

That was unexpected. "Your mother was the one who turned me." There's no point in beating around the bush.

Damon's eyes widen as his hands tighten; the glass in his hand shatters. His eyes narrow and his guard comes back up.

 **A/N Until next time!**

 ** **À la prochaine!****


	20. Chapter 20

"So this is about you feeling abandoned?" Damon lets out a humorless laugh.

"Do you think I want this?" Enzo pauses, feeling anger pumping through his vines. Trying to calm down, he begins to pace.

Damon is unusually quiet, just watching Enzo and it gets to him quickly, making him bristle.

"I was on that boat in 1903," he says, deflating, breaking the silence eventually, "Dying of consumption. She turned me and left me with so many unanswered questions." Hatred settles into his bones. He doesn't know if the hatred is for Damon, for Lily, for himself, or for the whole world.

Turning to Damon, he watches him struggle with his pride.

"You told me about your mum because you couldn't tell your brother. You didn't want to burden him." The realization makes him think about Caroline, about the ice in her bones. He could really use some of that himself right now…

"I'm tired of secrets and lies," he admits, running a hand over his face wearily before looking back at the other man. "I thought the truth would be best."

Damon steps forward, glass crunching under his boot. He is still so quiet, and it's growing old fast. Enzo doesn't need this, doesn't need to stick around for Damon to try to get a grip.

Making up his mind, he raises his chin.

"Tell your brother, Damon. Even if it will crush him."

He's gone before Damon can decide to finally say something.

* * *

He skipped the rehearsal. Listening to Caroline rattle on about it now sounds like he didn't miss anything.

They're back in his hotel room, Caroline walking barefoot around the room, her heels haphazardly thrown in the corner, while he watches her from his bed. He notices how easily she falls back into her old self, animatedly talking about the whole event. She even motions with her hands and has a little bounce in her step here and there when she says something that seems to excite her. The dim light in the room almost fools him, makes him believe that it's really her - the old Caroline, with her humanity intact. But then, every so often, she stiffens, her face growing blank, as if she has to remember how to do this.

He avoids her eyes, knowing that they will reveal how lost she is.

"And there wasn't even booze!" Throwing her hands up, she shoots a pointed look at him. "I mean, what? Just because the bride can't have alcohol, the rest of us can't either? - And Stefan!" She spins to face him, dress flowing around her. "I could feel his eyes on me. The tension in his shoulders…" Tilting her head, she pulls up a memory that doesn't quite feel right. "He used to be so easy-going."

Enzo snorts before he can stop himself; Stefan has never been that.

She rolls her eyes, reading his reaction right. "Maybe not easy-going," she allows, "But he was my friend. Now he won't even talk to me and avoids eye contact. Though he watches… - Why?"

"He doesn't trust you." His answer might be a little too honest, but she needs to hear it, and besides, nothing can hurt this version of Caroline Forbes.

Sure enough, she merely frowns at him for a second, as if going over his words in her mind, then continues on in the same vein as before.

"I remember how just one look was enough, and I knew what he was thinking, or feeling. Now he's just another stranger in the crowd."

Thankfully she stops her Stefan tirade right there. He doesn't think he could have listened to her rant about the younger Salvatore for much longer.

Leaning toward her, he rests his arms on his knees, inclining his head as he looks at her.

"What are you doing here, gorgeous?" His voice is gentle in a way he knows is lost on her. Still, he can't help it. Like he can't help caring about her.

Creasing her brow, she stares at him, then flops down right next to him with a sigh.

"Home is empty."

 **A/N**

 **I wanted to give a shout-out to Zoe-eoZ! Thank you for all of your help!**

 **Until** **next time!**

 ** **À la prochaine!****


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